sher wrote:

My husband and I are thinking of starting a small home orchard. We
think we have room for 9 – 10 trees. My in-laws have always had fruit
trees, so we'll be getting a lot of advice from them and also the
nursery, but I thought I'd check here also to see if anyone has some
good ideas on how to get started. I believe I am in USDA hardiness
zone 5 or 6, Sunset climate zone 3. The nurseries around here mostly
sell dwarf, late-bloomers. We are interested in planting pears,
peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, and maybe apples. If you can
answer any of my questions or direct me somewhere else, I would
greatly appreciate it. Any additional tips would be appreciated as
well.

1) I'm looking for a good reference book and have seen mixed reviews
on The Backyard Orchardist. Any other books I should investigate?

I like Mel Westwood's text on fruit as well as Childers Modern Fruit
Science.


2) When varieties are listed as cross-pollinators, does it always go
both ways? For example, I read that a Bartlett pear would pollinate
an Asian pear, but I could not find anything to confirm that the Asian
pear would pollinate the Bartlett.

It does not always go both ways. I'd use Bosc to pollinate but upon
thinking about it I'd select Bosc over Bartlett as the variety.


3) I know that peaches and nectarines are related. Will they cross
pollinate each other?

They can pollinate each other to no detrimental effect. Peaches are
self-pollinating by wind. Bees are unnecessary.


4) What are the risks of planting fruit trees in the summer? Most of
our nurseries will not be restocking for fall planting and we'd like
to get them in this year. I know we should plant early in the morning
when it's cool.


Normal planting times are spring and late fall. Water must be given in
all cases to fill the vacuum left by air and pull the roots in. I've
been amazed by orchardists that don't water in their trees.

5) I'd like to also plant some raspberry bushes. Do they do OK along
a fence, or does that inhibit harvesting the backside of the plants?

Just so you can get around to the other side and in many of the newer
varieties you can mow down the bushes in the fall. With fences that
would not be possible.


Also, how wild can they get? I don't want them sending shoots into my
neighbor's yard.

Depends, I like varieties that spread and fill in their spaces AND that
you can cut down each fall such as Heritage. Other varieties such as
Autumn Bliss will not spread as well.


Thanks for all your help.

John Cummins
http://www.cumminsnursery.com


~ Sher